Content:
- Background
- Jesus being crucified
- Jesus 1st words on the cross
- Jesus 2nd words on the cross
- Jesus 3rd words on the cross
- Jesus 4th words on the cross
- Jesus 5th words on the cross
- Jesus 6th words on the cross
- Jesus 7th words on the cross
- Events after the crucifixion
Background:
Nabeel Qureshi: Jesus in Islam vs. Jesus in Christianity - Apologetics to Islam:
- Time 4:31–22:22 : Jesus' crucifixion.
- Time 4:31– 6:24 : Historical evidence.
- Time 6:25–22:22 : The crucifixion:
- 6:25– 9:42 : The process of flogging.
- 9:42–13:07 : The crucifixion process.
- 13:08–14:20 : The result of crucifixion.
- Time 14:21–15:28 : Supporting evidence.
- Time 15:29–16:03 : Prophesies in the Old Testament,
see Psalm 22: the Crucifixion Psalm. - Time 16:04–22:22 : Arguments against Jesus' death.
in Luke 23:1-31 – Witness of Pontius Pilate.
in Luke 23:32-56 – Witness of the Thief on the Cross.
in Matthew 27:1-35 – The Innocent One Crucified.
Jesus being crucified:
Jesus was accused by the chief priests and elders (Mat 26:59–68, Mark 14:55–65, Luk 22:63–71). Since they weren't allowed to sentence anyone to death, they sent him to Pontius Pilate (Mat 27:1–2, Mark 15:1, Luk 23:1, John 18:28–32). He was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Tiberius from the year 26/27 to 36/37 AD. Pilate understood that Jesus was innocent and that it was out of jealousy that Jesus was sent to him (Mat 27:18–19, Mark 15:10, Luk 23:4, 13–16, John 18:38b). He never changed his mind about it (John 19:4–6, Mat 27:22–24).
When Pilate understood that Jesus was a Galilean and under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod Antipas, who was also in Jerusalem at the time. Pilate hoped to get rid of this problem. Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus didn't give him an answer. The reason was that Jesus knew what was in Herod's heart, that he wasn't interested in hearing the truth, he just wanted to be entertained, see
Casting pearls before swine in The Sermon on the Mount. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Jesus, dressed him in an elegant robe, and sent him back to Pilate. (Luke 23:5–12).
Due to the pressure of the people, Pilate handed him over to be crucified
(Mat 27:22–26, Mark 15:12–15, Luk 23:13–25, John 19:9–16), see Fear of Man.
Talmud notes that "forty years before the destruction of the (second) temple,
capital punishment ceased in Israel", a date traditionally set at 28 AD,
just a couple of years before Jesus' crucifixion, see Capital punishment in Judaism.
If it hadn't ceased, Jesus would have been stoned, but then the prophecy wouldn't have been fulfilled (Mat 20:17–19, 26:2). The crucifixion was foretold in detail, see Psalm 22: the Crucifixion Psalm. It occurred 30 AD, see
When did Jesus Die? in When Did Jesus Die and when Was He Born?
See also Messiah's Death and Resurrection in The Prophecies of Isaiah.
Pilate compromised instead of doing the right thing, which was to release Jesus since
Pilate knew he was innocent. Even though the crucifixion of Jesus was foretold
we always have a free choice, see The Predestination Theory. According to Jesus, what Judas did was worse compared to what Pilate did (John 19:10–11), see
Why Judas betrayed Jesus. Jesus knew the choices Pilate and Judas would make.
Before Jesus was crucified, he was scourged (flogged) (Mat 27:26, Mark 15:15,
Luk 23:22b, John 19:1). Torture normally preceded an execution. The Roman
scourge had thorns of bone or metal that tore open the prisoner's back so that he sometimes died even before the execution. The number of strokes isn't specified. The Roman soldiers then took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters (Mat 27:27,
Mark 15:16). They twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head
(Mat 27:29a, Mark 15:17b, John 19:2a). They mocked him, spat on him, and struck him on the head (Mat 27:30–31a, Mark 15:19–20a, John 19:3b). Then they led him away to be crucified (Mat 27:31b, Mark 15:20b, John 19:16).
Jesus carried the cross beam (not the whole cross). When they went out, they found Simon of Cyrene. They forced him to carry the cross beam (Mat 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luk 23:26, John 19:17a). Jesus was too weak after the scourging to carry it all the way himself. They came to a place called Golgotha (Aramaic) or Calvary (Latin),
which means the Place of the Skull, where he was crucified (Mat 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luk 23:33a, John 19:17b). Calvary was just outside Jerusalem (John 19:20).
Jesus was crucified at the third hour (9 AM) (Mark 15:25).
Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall and myrrh to drink at Calvary, but when he tasted it he wouldn't drink it (Mat 27:33–34, Mark 15:23, Luk 23:36b, Psalm 69:21 (22 in some translations)). Rich women in Jerusalem paid for a wine-based anesthetic with myrrh to alleviate the suffering of the condemned (Proverbs 31:6). Normally it didn't include gall which should rather have increased the suffering.
Jesus didn't want to be affected by this mixture when he spoke on the cross.
Jesus 1st words on the cross:
Two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left
(Mat 27:38, Mark 15:27, Luk 23:32–33, John 19:18). The chief priests with the scribes and the elders and the robbers who were crucified with him mocked him.
(Mat 27:39–44, Mark 15:29–32, Luk 23:35–37, 39).
Jesus said on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luk 23:34a). The love of Jesus never fails. He prayed for his executioners, meaning he lived out his own words (Mat 5:44). Jesus empowers us to live as he lived. The power of Jesus resides in us through the Holy Spirit. It gives us strength to forgive others as he forgave, see Forgive and You will Be Forgiven.
After they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots (Mat 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luk 23:34b, John 19:23–24).
Over his head they laid the accusation against him, with the following meaning:
"THIS IS JESUS FROM NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS."
(Mat 27:37, Mark 15:26, Luk 23:38, John 19:19). Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city of Jerusalem
(John 19:20a). It was written in Aramaic (ESV) (or Hebrew (NKJV)), Latin, and Greek (John 19:20b). The Jews in Israel at that time spoke Aramaic. That the Jews could read it speaks to the fact that it was written in Aramaic. The Hebrew
language was used in the synagogues where it was interpreted to Aramaic.
They crucified people in different postures. Sometimes the cross was like an X, sometimes like a capital letter T, and sometimes it was more like a classical cross. Some believe that Jesus was crucified on a single vertical pillar with his hands raised above his head and not with his arms outstretched. That can't be the case because the charge was over his head and not over his hands. This accusation over his head proves that Jesus was crucified on a classical cross.
Jesus 2nd words on the cross:
One of the two crucified criminals rebuked the other, saying:
"Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds;
but this man has done nothing wrong." (Luk 23:40–41). And he said to Jesus: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." (Luk 23:42).
See To Fear the Lord in Fear of Man.
It was God through the Holy Spirit who revealed this to him, because he feared the Lord, but the other criminal didn't (Proverbs 1:7). He humbled himself before the Lord, see 3) Blessed are the meek in The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus answered him: "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luk 23:39–43).
Some people believe that this indicates that Jesus met him in Paradise (also called
"Abraham's bosom", see The Rich Man and Lazarus) when Jesus' physical body was in the tomb, see The Resurrection of Jesus. But Jesus died on the cross before the two criminals, which means that this criminal who was promised to go to Paradise went directly to God's Heaven, because Jesus had paid the price for his sins when he died. He was forgiven. Paradise here means God's Heaven, see New Paradise in What Does the Bible Say about Hell? The spirit of Jesus visited God's Heaven
when his physical body was in the tomb (Heb 9:11–12), see The Atonement.
Jesus 3rd words on the cross:
When Jesus saw his mother Mary and the disciple John standing nearby, he said to his mother: "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to John: "Behold, your mother!" From that moment the disciple took her to his own home. (John 19:26–27). Jesus took care of his mother even at the cross. It was the eldest son's responsibility to do so. Joseph, Jesus' father according to the Law, had long time ago passed away. It was a hard life living as a widow in that culture at that time. Jesus didn't hand her over to any of his half-brothers (Mat 13:55–56a), because early in Jesus' ministry they didn't believe in him (John 7:5). Mary believed in Jesus, and Jesus wanted to give her over to a believer. This and the fact that Jesus' half-brothers weren't present at the crucifixion show that they still didn't believe in him. That would change after Jesus' resurrection. See also this explained at time:
- 17:42–18:43, 38:21–40:47 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │ August 2023.
- 17:03–19:52 in 1 Timothy 5 • Instructions concerning widows.
Jesus 4th words on the cross:
From the sixth hour (12 AM) there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour (3 PM) (Mat 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luk 23:44–45a). It was a supernatural act of
God the Father (Amos 8:9). All man's sin was now laid upon Jesus. He literally was
made sin on our behalf. (2 Cor 5:21). The relationship between God the Father and Jesus was broken. About the ninth hour (3 PM) Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mat 27:46, Mark 15:34).
Jesus in his pain quoted the opening verse of Psalm 22: the Crucifixion Psalm.
Jesus was truly forsaken, abandoned, and condemned by God the Father. (Isaiah 53:10a). "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus." (Rom 8:1, 2 Cor 5:19).
Jesus 5th words on the cross:
After this, Jesus said to fulfill the Scripture: "I thirst." (See Psalm 22.) A jar full of sour wine was there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth (John 19:28–29, Mark 15:36a). Sour wine diluted with water was a cheap and popular thirst quencher in ancient times, see also time 28:05–29:19 in September 2024 Bible Q&A.
Jesus 6th words on the cross:
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said with a loud cry: "It is finished".
(John 19:30a, Mark 15:37a). It was a victory cry. God's wrath had been satisfied. The price for the sin of the world had been payed, see The Atonement.
Jesus 7th words on the cross:
Then Jesus said with a loud voice: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!"
(Luk 23:46a, Mat 27:50a, Mark 15:37a). After saying this, he breathed his last,
and yielded up his spirit (Luk 23:46b, John 19:30b, Mat 27:50b, Mark 15:37b).
It took Jesus six hours on the cross to die, from 9 AM to 3 PM, weakened before the crucifixion with several lashes. Jesus gave his life of himself. No one took it away from him. He had the authority to put it down, and he had the authority to take it up again (John 10:17–18).
Events after the crucifixion:
Jesus was crucified on Preparation Day (the Passover day). This means that the next day was the "Great Sabbath", see 2) Passover (Jewish Easter) in
When Did Jesus Die and when Was He Born? Since the Jewish leaders didn't want the bodies left on the crosses during the "Great Sabbath", they asked Pilate to have their legs broken (so that they would die quickly) and for the bodies to be taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then of the second. But when they came to Jesus and found him already dead, they didn't break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, causing a sudden flow of blood and water. These things happened that that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken" (Psalm 34:20 (21 in some translations), Exodus (2 Mos) 12:46b,
Numbers (4 Mos) 9:12a) and: "They will look on the one they have pierced" (Zechariah 12:10a (to be fully fulfilled when Jesus returns)). (John 19:31–37).
The veil of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom, when Jesus died
(Mat 27:51a, Mark 15:38, Luk 23:45b). It was a very thick veil, ten meters high,
which separated the Holy of Holies (also called the Most Holy Place) from the holy place in the temple. The purpose was to show us that Jesus on the cross had completed what was necessary for our access, to come and meet God. Every single person on Earth has now direct access to God through Jesus Christ
(Heb 10:19–22, Rom 5:2), see The Rending of the Veil of the Temple.
The earth shook and rocks were split (Mat 27:51b). This was a result of Jesus' physical death on the cross, see Jesus is the Creator in Jesus is God. When the centurion and those who were with him watching over Jesus saw the earthquake
and what happened, they were filled with awe and the centurion said:
"Truly this was the Son of God!" (Mat 27:54, Mark 15:39) and he also said:
"Certainly this was a righteous Man!" (Luk 23:47). When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what happened, they beat their breasts (which
was an expression of sorrow (Isaiah 32:12, Luk 18:13)) and went away (Luk 23:48).
Among the women were Mary Magdalene, Mary (Jesus' mother),
Salome (mother of John and James), and Mary, wife of Clopas
(John 19:25, Mark 15:40, Mat 27:56).
After Jesus' resurrection, tombs were opened and many dead bodies of the saints (godly people) arose and came out of those tombs and entered the holy city (Jerusalem) and appeared to many (Mat 27:52–53). Jesus would be the first to rise from the dead with a resurrection body (Acts 26:23), see The Resurrection of Jesus. This means that these saints may have received their new resurrected bodies and were probably taken directly to God's Heaven after being in Jerusalem.
See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.
